Try not to spy
by oneprettytreeliar
Summary: Cammie is trying to balance being chased by the circle with the social pressures of friends and love, as well as keeping up academically in her non-traditional SPY school
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** **Hi this is my first fanfic so I hope you enjoy it**** Please comment and I will read suggestions too. Gallagher Girls completely belongs to Ally Carter and no copyright infringement is intended. I know her final book is coming out in a few days and this one is supposed to take place between the 5****th**** and 6****th**** (seeing as I don't know what happens in the 6****th**** so I'm making up my own story). Also please don't take it too seriously, like if she's allowed out of the mansion even though the circle wants her I'm just trying to make it fun. Thanks and enjoy!**

"Hurry up, Cam! I don't want to be late." Liz was jumping from one foot to the other, agitation clear in her voice.

"Calm down, Lizzie. We won't get into any trouble." I cooed as I pulled on my uniform skirt. I glanced quickly in the mirror, regretting it immediately. Macey stood beside me, applying her new 'natural shine' lipgloss. Literally that is all she was wearing and there she was, a goddess. I brushed my fingers through my hair, which now reached my shoulders. Dr Fibs had concocted a new hair growing solution and so far it hadn't made mine fall out. In fact it was working a charm. I turned from the mirror, towing Macey behind me. Bex and Liz were waiting at the door, tapping their feet impatiently. Bex, the girl who swears she once sat still for three hours straight while she hid from Italian assassins with her Mom. And Liz, a to-be-scientist that can literally spend hours in the labs just watching a beaker of sodium hydroxide boil. I kid you not.

Liz raced down every flight of stairs, beating us to the grand hall. (Note to self, totally bring her up on this the next time she refuses to participate in the seven mile jog in P&E – I mean, come on, I've been doing that since I was nine years old.)

By the time we reached her she was jumping up and down with giddiness. She skipped, yes, skipped, down the corridor to the newly refurbished classroom. It was our first time inside, and while yes it was slightly new and exciting, it was still school. Which is exactly why Liz was behaving this way.

We took the empty row of seats in the middle of the class. Not many people girls had arrived yet, though Tina Walters sat right at the front, whispering in Courtney Bauer's ear. They both shook with silent laughter. Within minutes the room had filled, though I noticed one seat remained empty. The one beside me. I knew it was nothing personal, everyone was avoiding it because they knew I was saving it. Yet the person I waited for had not come to claim it.

"Good morning, ladies." My mother called, as she walked into the room.

"Good morning, Headmistress." Replied the class in unison.

"So you all know that this is a new subject, one that the faculty and I have agreed is worth trying out. I'm sure you are aware it is a combination of science, covert operations and culture and assimilation. But for now, let's call it _Social Science_."

Murmurs erupted throughout the room but they were silenced quickly by my Mom's pointed stare. She continued, "We hope to cover why people do what they do. Having been _educated_"- trained, I mentally corrected-"in the way that you have, you haven't spent a lot of time outside of these grounds. After our successes with the Blackthorne exchange," I flinched slightly at the sound of the institute. "We decided to further inform you on the outside world. Everyday people act in particular ways, and to many of you it is confusing. It's not what you're used to. I think I speak for everyone when I say we live a rather…alternative…lifestyle." Yeah, I thought, not that teenagers spend their Saturday evenings practicing their aim with a pistol. "So, without further ado, let the lesson begin."

I'd never been taught by my Mom, not properly. So I was pretty excited to have her as my teacher. Liz was scribbling in her notebook and I looked down, reading words like 'alternative life' and "people act-why?" but I just rolled my eyes. Mom started to play a video of lots of people just walking down this one street.

"People are sheep. They follow the crowd," began Mom. "In this video you can see a line had been taped to the sidewalk, and everyone's walking over it like it's no big deal. Then this girl avoids it," on queue a little girl side stepped the tape, like standing on it would set off an alarm. "Now watch as the rest of the crowd follow her action. No one wants to be the odd one out. The girl is the exception, not the rule." Everyone nodded, probably wondering if there was a point to this lesson. I mean, I love my Mom and I believed she was going somewhere with this, but at that point it was pretty hard to see what.

Just as Mom began to lecture again, her eyebrows knitted close together. "Ah, Mr Goode, so nice of you to join us."

My heart threw itself out of my chest, I could swear. I turned to the door but no one was there. What was my Mom on about, had she gone doolally? She said no more about our latecomers who _by the way was invisible_ and continued talking about following the crowd. I was slightly tuning out. I hate to admit that my Mom was kind of… boring. Then suddenly I was jolting upright and grabbing the hand on my shoulder. Except it wasn't a hand, it was a head. And it wasn't just any head… it was my _boyfriend's_ head.

Just writing that word puts butterflies in my stomach. Oh god I sound like those gooey-lovey-dovey people. Sooooo sorry. But anyway, there on my shoulder, rested Zach Goode's head. And I totally wasn't complaining.

After a few minutes I ripped some evapopaper and started to scribble _Why are you late?_ Whilst trying not to sound like the possessive girlfriend type. I slid it to him and, seriously, he slid it back in, like, a second. I hadn't even seen him pick up a pen but when it returned to me it said _was visiting Solomon xx_

Okay. When a boy puts a kiss at the end, even though you didn't put one first, you can't help but smile to yourself. When a boy puts **two** kisses after the aforementioned, you can't help but swoon! After a few hours (okay about 20 seconds) of swoonage, I pulled myself back to reality and threw the evapopaper in my mouth. Zach's head was no longer on my shoulder but instead below the desk. I looked down to see him combing through his bag. Before I had the chance to ask what he was looking for, when his notebook was already out, I was called out.

"Miss Morgan."

That was cause for giggles, apparently. Yeah, the headteacher addressing her daughter by her own name. "Uh… yes?" I asked.

"What is so interesting below the desk that you can't pay attention to my lecture?" Her voice showed no emotion, but I could see it in her eyes. Was she offended? Hurt? Annoyed? Tired? I didn't know what, but there was something.

"Oh, nothing, I just dropped my pen." I lied smoothly. It wasn't like I was hiding anything, but Zach is just so mysterious – which we all know is the top most sexy thing a guy can be – that often when you think he's doing something innocent, it turns out he is totally not. For all I knew he was working on some kind of detonator in his bag.

"Your pen's on your desk, Cammie." My Mom nodded to it.

But it was Zach that replied, "No, Mrs Morgan, she means my pen." He waved his hand, which sure enough was holding a pen.

"Very well. Anyway, it's time to pack up. See you all tomorrow." And then my Mom walked out of the room. She was acting really weird. I know she's a spy and she is covert and stuff sometimes, but never in a million years would I expect her to have a boring lesson. She just seemed really withdrawn.

As soon as we could no longer hear her footsteps the whole class erupted. That's an understatement. They were all critiquing the lesson, but I didn't want to hear it. It was mostly what I'd thought, but I still felt like I should be defending my Mom. Tina Walters' was the most distinctive voice as she said "Was that lesson even planned? Like seriously I just about fell asleep."

Bex was walking out the door but she still managed to shoot Tina the scariest look I've ever seen. Remember, I'm the girl who has been targeted by trained assassins who have repeatedly tried to kill me. I know scary.

I follow Macey and Liz, my hand wrapped in Zach's. When had that even happened? Everything with him was natural now. I used to jump around him, be scared that I'd say the wrong thing. Yet now I could literally do anything, be anyone, and I knew he would still love me. I guess when a guy repeatedly saves your life from the aforementioned assassins (one of whom is his mother), you can't help but be yourself with him.

"So, how is he?" I whispered, knowing Zach would get it. I had to be careful, few people knew about Mr Solomon. Everyone thought he was either dead or MIA (which lead back to dead), but I knew he was actually living quite comfortably in our home.

"The same. Dying to come out, but he knows he can't risk it yet. Abby turned up as I left." I nodded. "But less about him…more about you." He looked at me, tilting his head and furrowing his brows. My cheeks were scarlet as he stroked his hand softly across them. (Note to self: ask Macey to teach you how to control liquid eyeliner, for the fifth time, and then actually wear it). "What are you doing tonight?"

Ah, Friday night. Like every Friday I planned to spend it in the common room watching whatever chick flick Tina had picked out this week or in wandering the mansion with my best friends. Or hiding in a tunnel with my superhot boyfriend (have I mentioned him?) on a date. You know, a typical night really. But I didn't say any of this, because while I believe in being myself around Zach, I don't think he needs to know everything that goes on in my mind.

"I was thinking I might-" I started but my lips were stopped by his. When he finally pulled away from the kiss, I tried to continue but he held up his hand instead. Personally (and now this is just me), I prefer being interrupted by a kiss (only if it's from Zach), but I let him talk anyway.

"You're meeting me in our tunnel." I nodded, dumbstruck. Ahh, this is the effect he has on me. There was once a time when I would make a whole speech on how I am an independent woman and I decide for myself, but my mind was mush at that point. "See you there at seven." He kissed my nose and walked away.


	2. Chapter 2

I shivered as a gust of cold air blew over me. Before I had the chance to turn to the tunnel entrance, arms were wrapped around me firmly. "You really ought to wear something warmer, Gallagher Girl. Like, I don't know, a jacket? Maybe one your boyfriend gave you…" Zach's teasing whisper rung through my ear. Our cheeks touched slightly and sparks threw themselves between us.

"Well I was kind of hoping that same boyfriend would warm me up himself." I turned to face him, holding his head in my hands. "If he can't, maybe I'll have to refer to a previous boyfriend…" I kept my tone light and joking, but I felt Zach flinch.

"Trust me, I can warm you up."

"I was hoping you'd say that."

His arms tightened around my body, but in a really good way. I felt safe, secure. I could almost believe that no one was trying to kill me. _Almost. _I sighed, thinking of Catherine, Zach's mom. How could such an evil woman create such an amazing guy?

"Tell me what you're thinking." He smiled down at me, tilting my chin up with his nose.

"Not much… Just how amazing it feels being with you." I hung my head again, cheeks flaring. I loved every moment I got to spend with Zach _alone_, but I also felt so much more self-conscious. One-to-one moments were intimate and incredible, but they usually meant I would say something cheesy that would embarrass him.

"I love being with you too." His voice was barely more than a whisper. I'm still not entirely sure if he even said it, or what he'd meant by it. But I loved the words all the same.

We sat together for hours that night, closely entwined together. My legs were draped over his as he played with my toes and my hands stroked his dishevelled hair. We stayed there for hours, talking about school, about the future. For some parts we'd go with minutes of silence, Zach occasionally leaning down to kiss my forehead, my arms, any part of me.

At 1:27AM I decided I should go back to my room. Zach offered to accompany me, but as Macey has often reminded me, that can only ever lead to trouble. "I think I'll survive the journey." I assured him, secretly touched by his gentlemanliness.

By the time I arrived at my room, the door was ajar. I'm not saying this meant anything, but it certainly wasn't normal. One thing we Gallagher Girls value is privacy. I guess it's ironic, we're taught how to pick locks and hack into people's personal accounts, yet there is an unspoken agreement that we do not intrude on each other (intruding on anyone else is totally allowed though). Therefore leaving your door open is basically like saying "Well come on in, take a look around," which trust me is not Bex style.

I edged carefully into our bedroom, my spy instincts in full mode. "Bex?" I called out in a hushed voice. "Mace? Lizzie?" No reply. Now I know it was a Friday night, but at the Gallagher Academy we don't really 'hit the nightclubs', so I was starting to panic. I wandered back down to the common room but it was empty. The rest of the rooms on our floor were closed, but I knocked softly on Anna Fetterman's door anyway.

After a lot of mumbling from behind, it finally flung open. "Cammie?" She asked, not really sure.

"Yep, Anna, it's me. You don't know where my roommates are, do you?"

"Huh?" A look of confusion clouded over her face briefly, but it was followed by apprehension. "They were with us earlier, we watched Pride and Prejudice, you know the one with Kiera Knightley? So cute! But I don't know what they did after. Sorry, Cam." She looked at me awkwardly, lingering in the doorway.

"Oh, okay, sure. Don't worry, you go back to sleep! I'm sure they'll turn up." I smiled. The door was shut in my face before I'd even finished the sentence, and as I took a step away, back to my room, I heard the faint sound of snoring.

I didn't know what to do. Go back to bed and hope they were there in the morning? Go find Zach or my Mum? I didn't want to get them in any kind of trouble, but what if they already were in trouble? I walked around the mansion, checking every hidden passage I knew. They were literally nowhere to be found. Finally I found myself at the last secret door, but they wouldn't be there. I didn't care though, I went in, knowing who to talk to. I expected Mr Solomon to be sleeping; it was the early hours of the morning after all. But there were hushed voices coming from his bedroom.

"We should count ourselves lucky that she wasn't with them!" I recognised my Aunt Abby immediately.

"You think I don't know that? I'm so glad Cammie was safe, but that doesn't change the fact that three students have been abducted." My Mom sounded really angry. I gasped, throwing myself into the room.

"Bex, Liz, Macey. They're gone?" My brow furrowed and I was biting back tears.

"Cameron!" My Mom didn't hug me or try to console me; she just stared at me irately. "Go back to bed." She ordered.

"No! Was it the Circle? Why do they want my friends?"

"We don't think it was the Circle, Cam." It was only then that I noticed Mr Solomon leaning against the back wall, his face a mask of perfect serenity. "It was done sloppily, and it's not your friends they want. The Circle doesn't even know that you've remembered the list, let alone that anyone else has seen it. We have to consider ulterior motives."

I nodded, feeling a tiny bit relieved. It was still terrible that my roommates were in danger, but it felt better to know it probably wasn't the Circle of Cavan.

Abby walked to me, rolling an arm over my shoulder. "It'll be okay, Squirt. We'll find them in no time." Her grin was taunting, like she thought this was a game.

"Cammie, you already know so much more than you should. Can you please just go to bed?" Mom looked exasperated. Her eyes were red and her skin pale. She was wearing grey sweatpants and my Dad's oversized hoody, but nothing about her looked comfortable.

I nodded, turning away. But it definitely wasn't my room that I was going back to. No way. I needed answers, and I knew who would help me get them.


End file.
